may these memories break our fall
by TheWayTheFeatherFalls
Summary: some of us grow up together. four part muggle au/marauders era


Disclaimer: Characters are JK's, title credit to Taylor Swift.

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_Part One_

_PRINCIPALLY CONCERNING two six year olds and a pair of shiny red shoes._

It was too hot for an October day.  
No, it was simply too undecided.

For one minute it would be hot, ridiculously so, so much so that teenage girls would run to their front lawns, jeans and tops rolled up in a feeble attempt to catch the last few rays of warm sunlight in order to tan their still painfully white legs. Then, quick as it had come it would disappear, clouds marching in determinedly, and a cool chill causing said girls to squeal and scuttle back inside or pull jumpers from beneath them.

There were retired gentlemen out washing their cars, shaking their heads and grumbling, as if it were the sun's own fault it had ended up hidden by the clouds. Behind netted curtains ladies snickered and giggled together; though whether from genuine enjoyment of each other's company or the most pleasant sight of young Ross Howe washing his father's car I honestly could not tell you.

There were a few pressed and ironed children playing a politely detached game of tag on one of the neatly trimmed lawns. Bitter parents sat together with taut smiles and cups of teas, and "isn't it so lovely our children are friends?" plastered on their lips.

All this one girl observed.

Her name was Lily and she was six, very nearly seven (in fact, she might as well just call herself that, after all what is four months to a six-year-old?). She was perched upon the swing that her daddy had put up earlier, telling her "that better bloody shut you up" before storming inside, supposedly to 'unpack' (oh but Lily _knew_, he'd leave the unpacking for her mother, he'd be watching the football now-)

Lily stuck out her feet, admiring the shiny red shoes she was wearing. Her mummy had bought them back for her from town when she last went. There was a rustle from the hedge next to her and out tumbled what _looked_ to be an urchin; well what Lily _supposed_ an urchin must look like (she had read the description in one of her brother's book and if she couldn't picture it before, she certainly could now). There was a scramble, a frantic paddle for dignity before the urchin (a girl, Lily notices in amusement, it's a girl) gets to her feet. Hidden behind a deceiving crust of ripped, brown stained jeans and wild matted hair were kind but weary blue eyes. She smiled shyly up at Lily, dimples appearing on each of her grimy cheeks, and despite everything her parents and school had taught her, Lily smiled back.

How odd. As she felt the skin around her mouth start to contract she reflected (with her six, nearly seven-year-old mind) how this strange, grubby little girl had made her do something that no-one, not even her mummy, had been able to do in months.

"Marlene." The girl stuck out her right hand and Lily took it gingerly. Her scrubbed pink flesh looked odd against the cracked and black stained nails of the urchin (Marlene, Lily thinks, her name is Marlene.)

"My name is Lily." They dropped their hands and there was a pause of uncomfortable silence in which Lily smoothed her dress and Marlene scratched her nose.

"The town's been talking about you arriving for ages. I brought you a present." Marlene reached into her hoodie pocket and brought out a clenched fist which she offered out. She twisted her hand and opened it- sitting there on her palm was half a fluff covered Mars bar. "It's kinda rubbish I know, and I'm really sorry about the end, I got a bit hungry on the way over 'cos I live on the other side of town you see-" Marlene's words were abruptly cut off by a whirlwind of ginger corkscrew hair and a flurry of cotton summer dresses, soaked in sweet summer sun.

"Lily, what on _Earth_ are you doing?" Lily looked over to where her mother had appeared, shopping bags by her side and a look of horror crossing her calculating face as she eyed the rapidly shrinking girl in her daughter's arms.

"Hello mummy. This is Marlene." Lily beamed and tugged Marlene's arm, pulling her round to face the scowling woman. "She's my new best friend."


End file.
